Former UN weapons inspector debunks Iraq/anthrax 
links

October 24 -- Former UN weapons inspector Scott 
Ritter refuted claims that Iraq was involved in 
the recent anthrax attacks in the united $tates at 
a teach-in on the campus of the University of 
Southern California yesterday. "There is no 
anthrax in Iraq to be exported," he said. "The 
Iraqi government would have nothing to gain from 
such attacks."

Furthermore, according to Ritter, the anthrax 
found in letters to TV persynalities and members 
of congress was not weaponized. Ritter said he 
believed the anthrax was manufactured in the 
united $tates, and -- although deadly -- not a 
weapon of mass destruction. "More people will die 
of the misuse of Cipro [the antibiotic used to 
treat anthrax]" than from anthrax itself.

Ex-CIA director James Woolsey has claimed that 
"Iraq was likely involved in the attacks of Sept. 
11" and the anthrax attacks.(1) A u.$-funded Iraqi 
opposition group made the same allegations last 
week.(2) The White House was working under the 
"operating assumption" that the anthrax outbreaks 
were linked to September 11. President Bush and 
Secretary of State Colin Powell both said they 
"would not put it [involvement in the anthrax 
attacks] past Iraq."(3)

Still, the State Department stated on Monday that 
it "knew of no clear link" between Iraq and the 
release of anthrax.(4) Iraq denied involvement 
(the Iraqi Foreign Minister called the charges 
"bullshit").(5) And this afternoon the FBI 
reported that there was no link between the deadly 
anthrax attacks and the September 11 attacks.(6)

So what do we have? Unfounded charges of Iraqi 
bioterrorism from unofficial sources close to the 
White House, official hints of an Iraqi link, wire 
reports based on CIA documents "exposing" the 
defunct Iraqi bioweapons industry,(7) hothead 
calls for Saddam's ass,(8) all followed over a 
week later by a half-hearted official denial of 
any links. This "spin cycle" supports the position 
of al-Thawra, the newspaper of the ruling party in 
Iraq: "The aim is to create suspicion around 
countries listed by the United States (as sponsors 
of terrorism) in order to commit aggression 
against them."(9)

And an influential faction of the Amerikan 
government has indeed been calling for a war on 
Iraq since 11 September. Deputy "Defense" 
Secretary Paul Wolfowitz "wants to take a broad 
approach to the war, emphasizing military action 
and the Persian Gulf to unseat the Taliban and, 
eventually, Saddam Hussein."(10) According to the 
Associated Press, Wolfowitz recruited Woolsey to 
advise the administration.(1)

Maybe the only thing we know for sure about the 
anthrax attacks is that Amerikan politicians have 
taken advantage of them for their own opportunist 
reasons. Sen. Bill Frist said that "more than a 
casual scientist" is behind the anthrax attacks, 
but then cautioned, "I would not use the word 
weaponized."(11) Senator Daschle called the virus 
found in his office "weapons grade" -- a phrase he 
later backed off of. "Weaponized" or "weapons 
grade" anthrax would require state backing and is 
particularly virulent.

These politicians -- Democrats and Republicans 
alike -- can't even be straight with the Amerikan 
public about the risks they face, let alone 
alleviate them.(13) This is why MIM calls on 
people in Amerika to break with a government that 
lashes out at any convenient target instead of 
addressing the true causes of these very deadly 
risks.

Notes: 
1. Associated Press, 23 Oct 2001. 
2. Reuters, 18 Oct 2001; Associated Press, 22 Oct 
2001. 
3. Meet the Press, 21 Oct 2001; www.bbc.com, 
24 Oct 2001. 
4. Reuters, 22 Oct 2001. 
5. Reuters, 23 Oct 2001. 
6. Associated Press, 24 Oct 2001. 
7. Associated Press, 17 October 2001; Reuters 23 Oct 
2001. 
8. "Where will Saddam Hussein and Osama bin 
Laden be at Christmas? Answer: dead." New York 
Post, 22 Oct 2001. 
9. Reuters 23 Oct 2001. 
10. Washington Post, quoted by Reuters, 5 Oct 2001. 
11. Associated Press, 24 Oct 2001. 
12. www.bbc.com, 24 Oct 2001. 
13. www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext/mn/sept112001/text.php?
mimfile=terrortrajectory.TXT